The present invention relates generally to a surgical irrigation apparatus for irrigating tissue during surgical procedures. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus consisting of a container for a fluid suitable for irrigating tissue during surgical procedures, a conduit leading from the container and an adjustable spray nozzle atttached to an opposing end of the conduit to permit an adjustable spray of fluid therefrom.
In the past surgical irrigation has been accomplished by flooding the exposed tissue area with an irrigation fluid and suctioning the fluid to clear the exposed tissue area. Thissue irrigation during surgical procedures is necessary to moisturize the exposed tissue to prevent tissue dehydration necrosis. Thus, it is necessary to periodically moisten the exposed tissue during surgery. Those persons skilled in the medical devices art have been unable to provide an irrigation fluid onto the exposed tissue area. Examplary of medical fluid dispensing devices are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,178 issued Aug. 22, 1978 to Frank A. Betush entitled "Pinch Valve Syringe"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,646 issued June 7, 1966 to M. Staunt et al entitled "Dental Syringes"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,452 issued May 16, 1961 to W. J. Hooper entitled "Syringe"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,757,667 issued Aug. 7, 1956 to F. E. Bronk entitled "Liquid Syringe."
In each of these exemplary prior art patents there is provided a syringe device for dispensing a pressurized jet of air and/or fluid from an air and/or fluid source. Typically, in each of these exemplary patents flow control is obtained byproviding a pinch valve to inhibit the flow of air and/or fluid through a conduit in the syringe. In surgical practices, it has been found that the pressurized fluid jet emitted from devices exemplified by the prior art devices is unsuitable for irrigation of surgically exposed tissue. The fluid jet emitted by the prior art devices tends to over-irrigate the exposed area and subject the exposed tissue to potentially damaging forces upon impact of the fluid with the tissue.
Accordingly, it has been found desirable to provide a manually controlled pump apparatus capable of dispensing controlled quantities of irrigation fluid in a spray form. A manually actuated syringe pump is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,539 issued on May 27, 1980 to Mathews Van Brugge entitled "Pumps and Syringes." The Van Brugge patent discloses a piston action pump/syringe for use in veterinary work for dispensing metered doses of liquids or pastes. The teaching of this patent addresses a mechanical configuration consisting of opposing one-way valves, one for pumping a metered dose of a liquid out of a central body and another for permitting ingress of a liquid or paste from a supply. The Van Brugge device ejects a jet of fluid with each depression of the pump, which is unsuitable for surgical irrigation purposes. While Van Brugge discloses one type of manually operated pump which may be used as a component of the present invention, that patent falls far short of disclosing the combined features taught by the present invention.
Thus, there is a need for a surgical irrigation apparatus which may be used to maintain moisturization of exposed tissue during surgical procedures without the need for flooding the exposed tissue.